Chronicles of Axel
by P. R. Fitzcharles
Summary: The days of man are numbered as the Elves known as the "Thalmor" raise arms and conquer Tamriel, province by province. Axel finds himself in the middle of this Great War with no memory of who he is, or ultimately what he is.
1. Riverwood

Chapter One

Swords and lightning flashed with equal ferocity as blood sprayed the already crimson snow. Men cried the cries of battle, as well as the cries of pain. Pain, pain, pain. The only feeling I knew. Mind, gone, numb, pain. Dead, no, not dead. Pain means life. Bliss is death. Who am I? Where am I? My memory is gone. The pain doesn't allow it to return. The only sound is the sound of my heart slow. A countdown to bliss. Eternal…bliss….

A light flashes and im laying on a beaten path surrounded by trees. The sun is too bright, and forces me to cover my eyes. I feel the rough ground on my bare skin. Im naked. I hear the gallop of a horse, and then the trot, and then nothing. I move my hand and allow my eyes to adjust to the light. But instead there is the looming shadow of a horse, with a boy mounted on top. The boy looked to be about 13 and Nord. He looked at me with concern and started to speak, but I couldnt hear him. I was too busy passing out.

Another long dream storms through my soul and traps me for what seems like forever before I finally come to. I open my eyes and find myself covered in a fur blanket, and surrounded by four wooden walls covered in paintings of a far away city with a tall white tower. The door opens and a small frail woman walks in with a bowl and some cloth. "Oh! Youre awake! I will be right back, dont move!" The small woman exits the room and returns shortly with the boy and a bear of a man wearing blue armor.

"Hello, I am Hadvar. This is my wife and my son. He found you lying on the ground naked. How do you feel?" I thought about the question for a minute. What do those words mean? How do I feel? Feeling. Emotionally. Physically. Physically, im fine. Emotionally..im not sure. "Im not sure." Hadvar seemed to weigh my words in his mind for a moment before asking, "Who are you?" The answer would not come to me instantly. I sat and thought for what seemed like an hour in silence. When the answer never came to me, and I looked up no one was in the room. I got out of the bed and tested my legs. They were strong, but not bare. I was clothed in sack cloth. Some instinct drove me to the ground on my hands and toes, and forced me to raise myself up and down. I was performing some kind of excercise. The exertion of energy caused me to sweat, but only after 100 or so of repeating the process of pushing myself up and lowering myself again. Feeling secure of my physical condition, I sat on the ground and crossed my legs to think. I closed my eyes and focused on lost memories. I wrestled in my mind for another hour until I could wrestle no more. I rose and opened the door a jar to examine the room on the other side. There was only a living room and another door. I walked in to find Hadvar and his wife sitting by a fire.

Hadvar rose at my appearance. "How do you feel today? Ready to talk?" I shook my head in dissent. "I can remember nothing. Nothing but my language." Hadvar nodded, and sat down again. His wife looked up at me and smiled. "Maybe you would like to go with Hadvar today. Get some fresh air." Hadvar rose and patted the sword at his side. "I am a stormcloak soldier. I have to patrol Riverwood. It would be a good way for you to see the village." I agreed and his wife showed me where more suitable clothes were stored. I dressed, and Hadvars' wife handed me some old boots and sent us off.

-Sorry the first chapter is so short, not much inspiration on the first go. :p Second chapter will be more promising.


	2. Questions

Chapter Two

Hadvars patrol took us all over Riverwood. After leaving the house, we headed to the barracks to check in with the other guards.

And after some idle chat with a large nord, we headed for the south gate to start the patrol. Along the way I saw the saw mill and general stores. Caught up in the new surroundings, I bumped into a man carrying some wood. The man seemed angered by the mistake and puffed up his chest. "You want to pick those up, stranger?" I looked down at the wood and then back up at him. "It was a simple mistake, Sven." Said Hadvar. The man called Sven looked at me, and though he was much smaller (at least a foot shorter) got into my face. "I said pick up the wood." I was just about to respond when Sven's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell to the ground, dark green smoke spiralling from a charred spot in his back. Instincts forced my body into a crouch and sent me leaping for cover behind a barrel. Hadvar grabbed Sven's body and threw it over his shoulder and headed my direction. Green orbs were flying from the direction of the north gate, from the trees beyond. I could just barely make out the forms of tall figures in the forest. Hadvar crouched down beside me and shouted in my ear, "Get to the barracks and inform the guards there. There are only three guards on patrol right now and I can see them moving the villagers to the inn. Go!" Before I could respond, I saw him take off in the direction of his house. I immediately sprinted toward the barracks. A million questions swarmed through my head as I reached the barracks and forced the door open. There were 6 guards looking at me with stunned expressions. "The village is under attack. Hadvar sent me." The guards burst into action. Grabbing swords, shields and bows, and then charging out of the door. The last one out thrusted a sword and a shield in my direction. I caught them and held them curiously. The man grunted and followed his comrades. As soon as my hands found the leatherbound grip, a memory flashed through my mind. A vast green valley, divided in half by a river. The sky was almost crimson, and reflected the ground parallel to it. The valley was covered with blood. The blood of the two armies that fought for the large city many miles away. Arrows flew, and orbs of different colors exploded. Swords drew blood and fire created ashes. Thousands of men and even more elves fought and killed eachother. My own sword carved a path before me, my shield on fire as its enchantments deflected the spells that were meant to end my life. Many elves came before me, only to be put down by the edge of my blade. Comrades fell on either side of me, and soon, I was surrounded by dozens of fire flinging elves. Something triggered inside me, and I felt strong. Full of energy. My feet carried me to each elf and one by one, my blade fed from their souls. With every kill, my sword and strength grew stronger. Soon there were bodies everywhere. But then they rose, and then blackness.

When my eyes reopened, I looked around and immediately remembered where I was. Charging out of the barracks and onto the road, I could see the Stormcloak guards fighting tall men in long black mage robes. There were 4 of them throwing green orbs at the Stormcloaks as they tried to advance through the gate. The Stormcloaks ,however, created a sheild-wall that wouldnt allow the orbs or the wizards to get through. This lasted for about 10 more minutes when finally, one of the sheilds shattered and one of the Stormcloaks flew a few yards into the air. The guards then dropped the sheild-wall and charged the wizards. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, and I charged with them, sword and sheild raised. As I closed in on the action, I saw a wizard trying to catch one of the guards from behind and I went to thrust my blade through his back when he turned around with blinding speed and caught my blade with his hand. The blade did not draw blood, and instead, shattered like glass. The wizard grinned and formed a green orb in his hand and forced it into my chest. I flinched and expected to be propelled through the air like the guard; but the orb just sizzled out after it burned through my clothes and touched my skin. It was my turn to grin as I punched the wizard in the hooded face. As my fist connected with his skull, his hood fell back, revealing a human male face, but sharp pointy ears and snow white eyes. An elf. Another memory flashed through my mind: A heavily decorated room, a fireplace with a warm fire going. Two men sat in highbacked chairs and discussed over hot cups of tea. One of the men, who was tall and fair skinned with white hair and glassy eyes spoke to the other man quickly, and in a different but familiar language. "The Thalmor are not pleased with Emporer Titus' decision. The Empire has a war on its hands, and im afraid that it is not a war the Empire is likely to survive." The other man, who looked very familiar to me, looked into the fire solemnly. "I understand. But we cannot allow the elves to get him. If the elves find the Konahrik, then there will be nothing left to stop them." The elf nodded in agreement and the present rushed back into view. The wizard that I had hit lay on the ground, unconcious. Until a sword pierced his throat. Hadvar twisted the blade once for good measure, and then slid it out of its sheath of flesh. "Quickly, lets get back to the village. We need to take an inventory check and have a meeting to discuss what our next move is. And the soldiers and I have a question or two for you." Without another word, Hadvar strode toward the inn, and I followed.


	3. The attack

Chapter 3

The meeting consisted of Hadvar, all (now only 9) of the guards, store owners, a man named Faendal, and myself. We all gathered around the large rectangular hearth in the inn. "How many were hurt, Lorik?" asked Hadvar. "None were hurt, but two were killed. Sven, and Jarod." Lorik replied in a thick Nord accent. Hadvar didnt even blink. "No doubt about it..those were Thalmor Justiciars. Probably testing the defenses of Riverwood." No one else spoke. "Stranger, I have to ask. Why were you not killed when that elf put a ball of solid energy in your chest?" Hadvar asked with suspicion. "I do not know. My memory is coming back to me in flashes. All I know is that I have fought these elves before. I do not know where, or when. But I killed many of them." Hadvar looked into my eyes and said, "There were four elves, and 10 men. Though we had them in numbers, they had us in power. Those elves should have killed everyone in this village. But when they saw you survive that attack, they were stunned enough that we were able to catch them off gaurd." I did not respond, but thought about his words. The rest of the meeting consisted of Hadvar sending the man named Faendal to Whiterun to tell the Jarl of what has transpired. Hadvar then doubled the patrols, and dismissed the meeting. I then returned to Hadvars home and went to the room I had been staying in sat on the floor with my legs crossed. I began to try and clear my mind of the days activities and tried to remember. My thoughts swirled around in circles until it hit some kind of barrier. I slammed my thoughts against the barrier over and over until I began to break a sweat. Suddenly a word screamed through my mind. Gron. The word gave me a headache, and caused me to cry out in pain. And then, just like it came, suddenly the ache was gone.

After I was fully recovered, I rose and went to lay down and rest. Sleep soon overcame my thoughts, and my dreams filled my mind. Dreams of men with gold, scaly skin, and snake tails for feet. Of men in gray cloaks, and of far away lands. "You are destined for something that none but your creators truly understand. Tomorrow, you will be visited by a woman who will guide you to the truth. Trust her." The words took a vice grip on my mind until they ended, and it released me. I woke with a start and found Hadvars wife blotting my forehead with a cloth. "You have been asleep for a whole day. You should eat." She put the cloth in a bowl of water and lifted a tray covered in bread, meat and soup. I sat up and allowed her to set the tray on my lap. "Thank you for your hospitality. Has the Faendal returned yet?" "Yes, he returned earlier today with word that the Jarl of Whiterun is informing King Ulfric of the attack. He also brought with him 15 Whiterun gaurds, and a woman. At the last three words I jumped and was about to leave the room until the door opened and Hadvar came in. "Ah! I thought I heard noise in here. Its about time you woke up! You have a visitor." Hadvar stepped in and allowed a tall beautiful woman with dark hair and fair skin to enter the room. "Stranger, this is Alise. She is the court wizard of Whiterun and-" The woman named Aliss cut him off abruptly, "She is perfectly capable of speaking for herself. I am here to help you remember. Everything. But first I must test you. To see...if you can handle the incantations I will use." I looked at her quizzically, but nodded. "Great! Lets get this taken care of. Many of the villagers are calling for him to be removed from the country. We need to find out who he is." said Hadvar. Alise looked at me with what looked to be a flash of excitement, but was quickly replaced by and an expressionless stare. "After you eat, get dressed and meet me at the bridge just outside of the village." I nodded my head and everyone left the room.

A few hours later, I met Alise on the bridge she mentioned earlier. When I arrived, I found her sitting with her legs crossed, facing away from me. "Come around and sit in front of me." I obeyed, and she continued. "First, I am going to use some basic alteration spells on your mind. Try and fight them off with your natural mental defenses." My mind was immediately strained against the weight of massive power, trying to get me to stand and jump over the bridge and into the water. But my mind held, and the attacks stopped. I opened my eyes and saw Alise grin and then say, "Very good, now for the physical test. I am going to throw at you some destruction spells that would usually burn you or bruise you. All you have to do is stand there and bare it. If you cannot withstand these attacks, then I cannot help you." She wasted no time, and threw a little ball of fire at my chest. The fire acted just like the elf's attack and burnt through my clothes, but did not harm my skin. Aline's response was completely unexpected. She ran at me and wrapped her arms around me. "By the gods! I knew I would be the one to find you!" After holding me for a minute or two, she stood back and took a deep breath, and then exhaled."Govey feinn gron. Dahmaan. Daal vahrukt." That is what I heard, but somehow, I understood as well. "Remove fade bind. Remember. Return memory." And then the memories hit me like a tidal wave. I was a warrior in the Imperial Nord division under General Jonna. I single-handedly defeated the vanguard of the Thalmor army, and helped retake the Imperial City. After that, I returned to my home of Helgen where I stayed until it was attacked by the dragon Alduin. Alduin picked me up and dropped me near Riverwood.

Alise looked at me with hope in her eyes. "Do you remember? Tell me what your name is." It came to me instantly. "My name is Axel." The hope vanished from her face. "So you dont remember everything. I will just have to tell you what I can. While we are alone, I will tell you this: I am not a court wizard from Whiterun. I am with an order known as the Dragon Priests. We are people that were given power by the dragons so that we could keep balance in Tamriel. We have been called to fight the elves. They have grown to powerful. But the Priests are scattered, and its leader does not have all of his memory. You are the leader of the Priests. And now we must find the others, and get their masks to Labrynthian so that we can get your mask. Only then will all of your memory be returned to you. Or so says the prophecy." I nearly collapsed at the barrage of information. This cant be. I am a soldier. Not some priest. "Im sorry Alise, you have the wrong guy. I cant be a priest. Ive killed many beings. Priests dont kill." Alise smiled. "We do. The Dragon Priests are the most powerful beings on Nirn. How else could they keep the peace? You MUST come with me, Axel. For the safety of Nirn." I thought about it for a moment, and then said, "I will agree on one condition. You must tell me everything you know about the Priests." She did not hesitate. "Very well. Lets go to my room at the inn." She started for Riverwood, and I followed. It seems I always follow.


	4. A priest

Chapter 4

Alise sat at the little table in her room, and I sat on her bed. "The story of the Dragon Priests is long and complicated. But im sure you can handle it. Long ago, there was a land known as Atmora. Atmora was the home of brave men that fought with metal, and drank much ale. These people were known as Nords. Nords had a tradition; before they could move from childhood, to adulthood, they had to prove themselves. Some went to caves and fought mighty beasts that had terrorized villages. Others swam or traversed great distances. But there was one boy who wanted to do something that no other Nord had ever done. He decided to travel to another land and bring back something no Nord had ever seen. This boy's name was Ysgramor. Ysgramor had heard of a land far off to the south, that no sane person would ever travel to. But Ysgramor was determined, and so built himself a boat. He then searched and searched for a crew, but none would go with him. Ysgramor planned to go to a distant land, young, untrained and alone. Ysgramor set sail to the unknown land and was on the water for 4 years until he hit land. By then, Ysgramor had lived off of fish and exotic animals from small islands in the middle of the sea and was grateful for what he found. Waiting for him on the shores of this new land were people that looked just like him. They all stood off in the line of trees and he could only see their upper halves until one of them stepped forward. From the waist down, this man was a snake. From that moment on, Ysgramor was enticed. He stayed on this land for 5 years, and befriended the people whom he knew as the snake people. Ysgramor shared with the snake people all of his Nordic traditions, and taught them how to fight with the sword. Up until Ysgramor arrived, they had used ancient magick and their mouths. This won them many battles with the other creatures of the land he came to find out was called Akavir. The Akaviri snake people were very grateful and offered to share with him any three things he wanted to know. This surprised Ysgramor. During his time on Akavir, he knew the snake people to be very secretive about their magicks. Ysgramor thought about what he might ask of them. During his stay, he found out that the Akavir snake people were given their magick from ancient beasts known as "dragons". He asked for the secret to this knowledge, and they brought him to a dragon known as Pearthanaux. It was there that Ysgramor learned the first "thuum". Ysgramor also came to learn that the snake people had the ability to instill great magicks into items, but the power of the magick was determined by the power of the sacrifice. So Ysgramor asked that 9 dragons be sacrificed to enchant 9 masks. This request daunted the snake people. For capturing, let alone killing a dragon was nigh on impossible. Ysgramor only laughed and told the snake people of an idea that took them completely off guard. Instead of killing the dragons, bind them into the items. That way the enchantment would not drain, but last until the item was destroyed. The Akavir tried and failed to bind the dragons, and returned the information to Ysgramor. Ysgramor thought long and hard for a solution. He thought for 5 more years until one night, a bright light appeared in his room, and was replaced by a man in a gray cloak. It was said that this man was Sotha Sil, the leader of the Psijic Order. That night, Ysgramor and Sotha Sil devised a plan that would preserve the Nords, as well as the Aldmer and all of its offspring. Together, they formed the idea to absorb dragon souls. The next day, Ysgramor was given the ability. And that same day, the dragon priest masks were formed, and named after the dragons that he subdued. Ysgramor returned to Atmora in his late 20s and rose to power as the king of the Nords. Years later, after not finding anyone worthy to wear the masks, Sotha Sil returned to Ysgramor and told him of another land known as Tamriel. He said that Tamriel had been inhabited by several breeds of Mer and they could settle there in friendship. Ysgramor sent his sons and many settlers to this new land, only to find out that they were all slaughtered by the Mer upon arrival. Ysgramor, in his rage, gathered 500 of his fiercest Nords and crossed the sea of ghosts. When he arrived on the new land, he sent his army far and wide, slaughtering these Mer as he went. When there were none left, he died. His people were then divided under the rule of the Circle of Captains. These Captains were worthy generals and were the heirs to Ysgramor's throne. They were the ones who recieved the masks. And it was tradition, that from then on, the wearers of the masks would be chosen by the Psijic Order. And so far, all of the Priests have been visited by a member of the Psijic Order and granted the masks that were chosen for them. There have always been eight Priests, and the ninth mask is said to only be used when the right time is near. The wearer is granted great powers. Prophecy states that the wearer cannot be defeated in battle. Of any kind. Mental, emotional, spiritual or physical. But every mask bares a curse as great as the power it gives. My mask is the mask of "Morokei". It grants me unlimited use of magick. But I cannot lift a sword. My brethren, whom, by tradition we must call by the name their masks bear, all have great power as well. Hevnoraak is immune to disease and poison, and his body does not physically age. He can also heal others of most illnesses. He is cursed with blindness though. Rahgot will never grow tired. He can fight all day and all night or until his weapons break. His curse is that he cannot sleep or eat." She continued to speak, but my mind was swarming with information. I had to get away. I got up and left the room, and then walked out of the inn and headed for the bridge.


	5. The Hideout

My mind was swimming with information as I sat on the bank of the river a mile away from the village. I had so many questions. Aline said that the priests were visited by members of the Psijic Order. Whatever that was. I was never visited by an such order. Why did I lose my memory during the Battle of Reclamation? Why can I not remember anything before that battle? Why did Aline claim that I had not remembered everything when I told her my name? The questions continued to resonate through my mind as the hours flew by and I returned to the village. Upon my arrival at the gate, a figure dropped from a nearby tree and strode up to me. "Take this and follow me. Its time to leave." The person had a female voice and a hood over her head. The item she handed me was three feet long, and had a handle. It was a sword in a scabbard. "Aline? Is that you? What's going on?" I asked, puzzled. "Ssh! We will talk later, just come with me." She sounded exasperated and I remembered the voice in my head from the day beforethat told me to trust her. And once again, I was a follower. I followed her through the vast forest all night, and just before morning, we stopped at an abandoned fort. The fort was surrounded by a dilapidated stone wall, and was adorned with vines and mountain flowers. Aline stopped just before the wooden door. "This will be safe for about two days, and then we must move. They will find us if we dont." Without another word, she opened the door and walked in.

The first room was quite large, complete with a large fireplace and feast table. It also had a bed roll in the corner that could be cleaned and slept in. "Well this could actually work. We could go hunting for food and we could light a fire in the fireplace." said Aline. "We should probably check out the place. Make sure there arent any bandits hiding out." I said. Aline looked at the door that led deeper into the fort. "I guess now is a better time than any." Aline walked over to the door, and pushed it open. But she didnt go any further. She just looked into the darkness beyond and I heard this: "_Laas Yah Nir." _I moved closer to her to try to hear what she was saying. As I stood next to her I noticed that her usually gray eyes held a blue tint that almost glowed. "Aline, what are you doing?" She didnt say anything, but just held up her hand. She stood there for a few more seconds and then the tint went away. "I will show you when we hunt, but the fort is clear save for a few skeever." I nodded and asked, "Why dont you explain why we left in such a hurry?" Aline pursed her lips and sat on the edge of the table, her feet dangling. "I had scouted ahead to Helgen before arriving at Riverwood. The elves are based there, and I overheard plans to attack this afternoon." My anger was instant. "What? Why couldnt we stay and fight? I thought the priests were peace keepers." Aline, nodded in agreement. "Yes, but I cannot risk you dying. You are undertrained and I already have a little amount of time to train you. You must be combat ready in three days time, Axel. I couldnt very well train you while in a populated area that was constantly under the threat of attack." "What happens in three days?" Aline just looked at me, and smiled. "Your induction to the priests." My heart started to throb at her smile. It was brighter than the Beacon of Meridia, and more alluring than skooma. I couldnt help but stare and smile. "I guess we better head out. Im getting hungry!" she said, breaking my reverie. Aline moved closer to me and put her hand on my side, sliding it down to the hilt and drawing the sword. It was beautiful, the blade polished silver and double edged. The hilt had a large blue gemstone in the center that glowed and practically sang with beatuy. "I thought your curse wouldnt let you lift a sword?" I asked, confused. Aline gave me a deadly smile and then thrust the blade into my chest.


	6. The Hunt

Blackness. "Axel." That voice. That beautiful, seductive voice. The one that is housed by thebrightangelic smile. "Axel, wake up." The voice of the traitor. The angel with the demon soul."You are being ridiculous, wake up damnit!" But she is so beautiful. Never have my eyes laidupon such a lovely creature. And then searing pain on my left cheek. My eyes flew open to findthat creature staring down at me."Whoresson! You stabbed me!" Aline just stared at me and laughed."You just killed me, and you find it humorous?" Then it hit me. I wasnt bleeding. Nor was I dead."I dont think you understand, Axel." She said, trying to stifle a fit of giggles. "I can literallylift a sword, but I can not use it against anyone." I felt my face grow hot as I rose from my spoton the ground. Aline couldnt stop smiling as she said "I couldnt wait for you to wake, so I had togo hunting. I got us only one deer since I didnt have a lot of time."She motioned toward the table,which was clean and lit by candles. And on each end was a plate with venison."Um. It looks ."Aline just smiled and sat at the far end.I walked over to the opposite end and was a fork and a knife on eitherside of the plate. As I began to cut the venison, a question arose inmy mind. "Where are the priests?" Aline swallowed some venison to answer my question. "They are all over Skyrimat thetime being. They realize that this is going to be the most hostile spot. We last met a week Psijics called us to order a week ago and told us that Konahrik had been chosen. But they couldnot reach you because of the elf activity. So it was decided that I would find you and train youuntil we could gather all of the priests at the sanctuary and induct you with your mask. Buttomorrow is training day. We will spend the whole day working with the "thuum." I looked at herquestioningly and she simply said, "I will explain tomorrow. For now, just enjoy the best foodyou will have for a while." And so I did. I cleaned my plate and then began preparing a place tosleep on the floor a ways away from the now clean bedroll. I began by taking off my thick cottonand making a pillow out of it. Aline was not finished eating and noticed me preparing my I removed my shirt I heard a gasp escape her mouth as she saw the body of a soldier, coveredin scars. "I can heal those." Aline said with sympathy in her voice. "I'd rather you didnt. Theyare to remind me that war leaves scars. And not just on bodies." Aline was silent for a long timewhile I lie on my back, the stone floor cold on my back. I'll have to gather firewood while weare in the forest tomorrow I thought to myself. It didnt take long for sleep to overcome me, anddreamt of large, gold skinned figures, talking amongst themselves.I awoke with the sound of skeever clawing at the door to the rest of the fort. I rose and lookedaround the room for Aline while I slipped my shirt on. She was nowhere to be seen. Seeing a noteon the table, I walked over to it and picked it up."Axel,Meet me outside. This is a test. I want you to use your instincts to track me down. If youfind me, you get breakfast.-Aline"I smiled and put the note on the table. I picked up the sword Aline had given me and headed outof the first thing I noticed when I stepped outside was the smoke from a fire climbing its way above the trees. I grunted and made my way towards the obvious campfire before realizing that this was too easy. There must be a trick. I stopped in my tracks, just before a bear trap snaps shut a few inches from my left foot. So this is the game she's playing. I took a deep breath, and relaxed. I quickly stepped over the bear trap and strode towards the smoke, which lead to a camp fire that was recently put out. I scanned the area and found no other signs of human occupation. And then I heard it. A large ball of fire caught me in the chest, not hurting me but catching me off guard.

I scanned the trees and found no one. She must be playing with me. _"Laas."_ The word hit me like a fist and caused a majoy headache. I whispered the word, and my voice reached into my soul and plucked out a piece of it, converting it into raw power. And then my vision drastically changed. Everything turned a very light shade of gray spotted with blobs of white. One of the white blobs was shining very bright, and was perched in a tree in the area the fireball came from. I blinked and the sight left me, and there she was. Digging in her bag, not aware that I had found her. I retraced my steps a ways and found the bear trap. I walked back to my spot and found her again, I then armed the trap and tossed it into the tree. Her reflexes were impressive when I saw trap suspended in midair, and then thrusted in my direction. Something triggered inside me and my sword deflected the trap with lightning speed.

Aline dropped from the tree and walked towards me. "Well done, Axel. Now for part two." She smiled and sent a barrage of mental attacks that distracted my physical defenses long enough for her to send a small ball of fire at my thigh. The pain was instant, and caught her off guard. "I had to test you. I didnt know what your weakness was, and I doubted that you did either. And there is my theory. Now fact. I grimaced and clutched my burning leg as she bent down at my side and lifted the leg of my trousers to examine the wound. "Your power only extends to both your physical and mental defenses. But if I send too much power one way, then the other defense is weakened." I sighed in relief as her healing hands hovered over my upper thigh. "Now we need to get back to the fort and get you rested up. We have a big day tomorrow." She said with a smile. "What? I thought the induction was in two days." She shook her head. "You passed out for nearly a whole day. We must leave tomorrow. I will have to wait until your induction to train-" But that was all she said before an arrow pierced her shoulder and all hell broke lose.


	7. Betrayal

Chapter 7: Betrayal

Aline's battle instinct was astounding as she quickly grabbed the arrow from her shoulder and pulled it out. She then disintegrated it with a burst of fire and then sent the fire at the assailant. This distracted the assailant long enough for Aline to shout "_Feim Zi Gron!" _and vanish, leaving me standing alone. I cursed and drew my sword. "Who is there? Aline, where are you?" I shouted. Something moved in the distance and a figure appeared. It was a woman who appeared to be about my age, in her mid 30's. She had long dark hair and dark grey eyes. She wore dark leather armor that was covered in straps and buckles of all kinds. She held a fierce looking bow at her side. I was considering dispatching her before she could get that bow up when out of no where, a woman in red leather armor appeared beside me with a knife to my throat. My reflexes kicked in and the pummel of my blade went into her gut and she crumpled to the ground, her blonde hair falling in her face. A split second later, I charged towards the dark-haired dunmer and swung my sword in an arc just when she backflipped out of the way, and vanished. I looked around, trying to locate her, only to find the blonde had also disappeared.

I reached into my soul, and converted a piece of its energy into a word. _"Laas!"_ My vision changed to that light gray, and I was surrounded by figures. I lifted my sword in a defensive position and waited for the first attacker. "Are you Axel of Helgen?" a voice called from the blonde. "It depends, who is asking?" I replied. The blonde nodded to the other woman, and said, "Ok, Karliah. Now what?" The woman called Karliah said nothing but raised her bow and aimed it at me. She shot two arrows at my chest and I cut the first in half and barely caught the second with my hand when a third caught me in the shoulder. I moved to take out the arrow but my limbs grew numb, and my vision blurred as I fell to the ground. The last thing I saw were the blondes boots coming toward me.

When I came to, I was surrounded by stone walls with candles mounted on them. I sat up and looked at my arm where the arrow was lodged, but found only a hole in my shirt. The skin underneath was smooth and held only a scar. "Its about time. You sleep as much as you can when you can don't you?" The voice sounded familiar and I couldnt quite place it until I followed it to a burly man in blue armor."Hmph. Never thought I'd see you again." was all I could say."And I thought I'd never see YOU again. But im glad we caught you. You have a lot of catching up to do." His words were followed by footsteps coming from a corridor to my left."Yes, you do. You've slept much too long. We were supposed to have left for High Hrothgar today." The words came from the blond woman as soon as she entered the room. The other woman right behind her. My hands were around her throat before Hadvar could move and a knee to my groin finally subdued me long enough for Hadvar to explain, "No! No! She helped you! Astrid is a friend!" I grunted and found my way back to the bed. "Where is my sword?" Hadvar walked over to a chest at the far wall and pulled out the blade. "Here it is, as long as you dont kill anyone." I reached for the hilt and layed it on the bed beside me for security. "What is going on? Who are these people? And where are we?" Astrid sat in a chair, but Karliah remained at the door and leaned against the frame. "You are in the Riften Ratways. The Sanctuary of the Theives Guild. Karliah is the Guildmaster. And I am Astrid, the Leader of the Dark Brotherhood of Skyrim. And as for what is going on. A war is going on, in case you werent aware. Cyrodiil as almost been almost completely overrun by the Thalmor, only The Imperial City, Cheydinhal and Bruma remain. The Emporer has been mistakenly murdered while in Skyrim and the Empire has declared war. King Ulfric has tried peace talks with Chancellor Umbranox, but attempts have failed. King Ulfric has sent large amounts of troops to the borders and has called for evacuation of civilians to larger cities."

"Why did Aline come whisk me away?" I asked, sounding like a stolen child."Because the day after you left, she returned with a small force of elves and attacked Riverwood." Said Hadvar gravely. His words made my heart drop like a stone. "How many?" I asked. "Everyone except Faendal and myself. Including my wife and son." A tear threatened to fall from his eye, but Hadvar fought it off and bowed his head."I am sorry, Hadvar. I wish I would have stayed and helped defend Riverwood. I take full responsibility." Hadvar shook his head. "No, its those elves. They want revenge for something our forefathers did centuries ago. They want to exterminate all of mankind. No, its not your fault." With that, Hadvar got up and left the room.

"What is he talking about?" I asked. Astrid looked at me and folded her hands together. "Have you heard the story of Ysgramor and the 500 companions?" I thought about the question and remembered Aline's story, about how the Dragon Priests came to be. How the 500 companions killed all of the elves in the land. Except the ancient Aldmer who became the Altmer. "Yes, Aline told me." Astrid nodded, and the stood. "That's why the Thalmor do what they do. And now that you are rested. We need to make sure you are updated completely on the war. But also, there is someone here who you must meet. Wait here, he will be here shortly." With that, both Astrid and Karliah left the room.


	8. The Numidium

Chapter 8:

I waited for what seemed like an hour, and stood up and looked around the room. I was surrounded by chests and wooden dummies. I lifted one of the lids of the chests and found nothing of interest. So I balanced my sword and swung it, drawing a long gash through the neck of the dummy. I went to swing again when I heard a noise behind me. I quickly turned, nearly taking off the intruders head, but stopped short seeing that it was a gray haired man. The man had eerie solid white eyes, and long flowing white robes. My blade hovered at his throat, and then slowly descended to my side. "I guess you are my visitor?" The man nodded and said "Yes, I am your visitor. And I am a visitor to this realm as well. I have not been here in over 500 years." The words did not surprise me, as I had killed elves older than that. "I am Sotha Sil. Immortal Ascendant of the Amsivi, and Archmagister of the Psijic Order of Artaeum. And you are Axel Konahriik." The realization hit me like a fist as I remembered what Aline had said about Sotha Sil. He had been around when Ysgramor was alive. This guy was centuries old. Much older than the oldest elf that fell to my blade. "It is an honor, Archmagister." The Psijic smiled and waved my compliment away. "We are equals, Axel. As you will come to find out during the periodic conversations we will have. As you might know, I am a keeper of balance. I exist only to advise the ones with the power to keep the balance in the world. And during my time here, I will help you realize who you are, and more importantly; what you are."

His words rang like a bell in my head, and gave me a sense of happiness I had not had since before the Great War. "Where do we start?" I asked. "Your sword." He replied. I looked at him for a moment until he gestured for me to hand it to him. I complied, and he held the sword in his hands as if he were presenting the blade to me. "This sword is an evil sword. It was made by the Akaviri snake people, and fashioned so that it could steal the soul of whatever it killed. It must be destroyed." I just nodded my head. I did not want a sword that was so evil. Sotha Sil nodded, and then closed his eyes to focus, and soon; a white light grabbed the sword and reduced it to ashes. Sotha Sil let them fall to the ground at his feet and then he opened his eyes. "Now that that is taken care of, we must get to the business of the briefing. Lets find out what Morokei has poisoned your mind with. Tell me everything she has told you." I went and sat on the bed but he remained standing. I proceeded to tell him everything Aline had told me. This took about thirty minutes, and the whole time Sotha Sil only nodded.

Finally, my story ended and Sotha Sil clasped his hands together. "Everything she told you was correct. Except two things." Sotha Sil raised two fingers into the air, "One, I was not the one who advised Ysgramor. The Akaviri are evil, and heartless beings. It was the King of Worms, Mannimarco. Mannimarco is the first lich the world ever saw, and the killer of Galerion the mystic. Second, you are not destined to be a Dragon Priest. The Priests are evil beings bent on the Elves will. However, your destiny is intertwined with the Priests. And I suppose now is a better time than ever to tell you."He said. "Tell me what?" I said, confused. Sotha Sil looked uncomfortable, as if he didnt want to be the one to tell me this. "Have you ever heard of the Dwemer?" The Dwemer. The dwarves that disappeared long ago. "Yes. I am familiar with the Dwemer." Sotha Sil nodded. "Good, that helps. The Dwemer live in Morrowind with the Dunmer, with whom they constantly fought. Until Skyrim invaded of course, and then at that point they were united by Lord Indoril Nerevar. They Dwemer and Dunmer then fought together to push back the invaders. They did so successfully."

"Soon after, the Dwemer discovered an ancient artifact known as the Heart of Lorkhan. Lorkhan was the patron god of the Dwemer. He also happened to be the creator of the world. So when the Dwemer found this artifact, they knew they would need its power. For the Dwemer's ultimate goal was the exact opposite of the elves' goal. They wanted to preserve Man. They were intrigued by Man's adaptability and resilience. They used Man as a blueprint to study and attempt to create their own form of Man. They had the designs for the body, but they did not have a divine way to bring the body to life. To give it a soul, or to give it a mind of its own. Until they found the Heart of Lorkhan, and Kagrenac, the genius Tonal Architect of the Dwemer created the Profane Tools; Sunder, Keening and Wraithguard. These tools would help them to posses the power of Lorkhan and insert it into the body. But first, they had to test it. They chose three of their most wise, and respected members of society. Vivec, Almalexia and myself. The test was a success. And it reaped several results. The three of us were given immortality, and great power. But this power was evil, and because of our good deeds, required us to return to the Heart to rejuvenate our power. Vivec has been long dead, and Almalexia barely lives. The only reason I live is because the Aisle of Artaeum is rejuvenating. That is why I can only make fleeting visits to this world. But back to the story at hand. Since the test was a success, we tried to cast the power of Lorkhan into the body, and the body could not hold the immense power. We needed a human body. So we got one of the couples that agreed with our experiment and asked them to mate and create us a fetus. And they did, and the fetus acted as a vaccum that absorbed the soul that came from the Heart of Lorkhan. And that fetus was you, Axel. You were born five hundred years ago, but you only just awakened truly a few days ago. The past five hundred years, you have lied dormant, often finding your way into other peoples minds. The memories you have of battle come from those people. It is part of what makes you a capable warrior. The ability to never lose a battle comes from your birth. But there is more to you than that." Sotha Sil sighed, as if having lost his breath. "Thank you for telling me this. It means more than you could imagine, and I have so many questions." Sotha Sil just waved my words away. "It is my duty, Axel. But I must answer your questions next time. For now, I must return to Artaeum. We will meet again once you arrive at High Hrothgar. Now go and meet with Astrid and Karliah. You have a lot to discuss, for they will explain your importance in this war. Goodbye, Numidium of Lorkhan." I nodded and Sotha Sil turned to mist and evaporated.


End file.
